


Black Cat Romance

by PandorasWritingDesk



Series: Original Fairy Tales and Stories [3]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Aromantic and Nonbinary character, Canon Pansexual Character, Canonly Aromantic character, Cussing, M/M, Mention of past relationships, Music, New York setting, No sex in this kiddies, Past Lives, Referrence to abuse/past trauma, Referrence to lose of a loved one, Shape Shifters, Soul Shifters, but a character almost gets hit by a bus, cause im so cooooooooo, depression and anxiety disorders, disturbing flashbacks to pain and trauma, fick a dick, guitar strumming, hes only pan cause he thinks trans guys are kawaii as fuk, hes real gay dou, i am a tag novience I'm sorry, i forgot setting mattered, i wrote this when I was twelve I'm sorry, idk how to tag that, im a baby drowning in sin, its brief, just starting relationships, llllll dude, not mentioned but I know these things, the mature's for all the cussing and sex jokes, their brief but yeeeeeeeeeah, very blatant homosexuals, ye I want all Le Representation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-05
Updated: 2017-02-05
Packaged: 2018-09-22 02:51:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9579227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PandorasWritingDesk/pseuds/PandorasWritingDesk
Summary: Marcus has a history he keeps under lock and key. Lewis has a suitcase that overflows without even opening it. CJ doesn't talk much. When Marcus and Lewis crash into each other on the subway, their lives are found to have more than a few ties to one another.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you like this small story I really like. I might come back to this cute trio of characters someday, but I haven't written anything as of yet. Tell me if you'd like to see them again, in the past or the future.

Marcus hated the rain.  
It didn't matter what time of the year it was or where he was, he simply despised the rain. Especially when he was caught in it. He quietly muttered his misfortune as he ducked into the subway, thoroughly soaked by the run from his office. He sighed as he stepped into the car, dripping wet and shivering. He really hated the rain, but he wouldn't mind so much if it hadn't rained today. Another full day with one massive problem to make it weigh hard on his chest. First he was up all night with one of his frequent bouts of insomnia, then he was told to work a double shift, leaving him at the perfect time to go out in the full on deluge. He was painfully aware of how much this day felt like another, one he very much would like to forget. Then there was the attempt to get him to go to some dating event his coworkers thought he would care about. He hated the people he worked with, he honestly wanted to go back into graphic design but, for now, he was stuck in a cubical helping people who couldn't be bothered to read the information tab on Amazon. 

He plopped down in the plastic seats with a groan. He was still shivering as the speaker explained that the doors had started closing and the metal on his back wasn't helping. Just as the door was shutting, a hand tugged it back as hard as possible. The man pulled himself through the tight gap hurriedly, dragging an over stuffed suitcase and a shakily closed umbrella behind him. He was panting and almost tripped as he hurriedly grabbed the teether next to Marcus. 

Marcus didn't want to admit it, but he smirked as the man halted in front of him. He was tall, tan, and brunette, a solid dusting of freckles on his cheeks, neck and showing on his collar through his soaked dress shirt. His suitcase looked as if it had hand written papers jutting out, more disorganized than an unmade binder. He was staring right past him out the window, a smile on his lips. Marcus was not one to speak openly about himself but he knew from college he at least enjoyed other males in a way some religions found unethical. And he could neither confirm nor deny the fact that the brunette was hot as hell. The man turned and faced Marcus, his emerald eyes gleaming. His smile was warm, almost comforting. 

"Did ya forget your umbrella or do you not listen to the news?" 

Marcus swore to Christ his heart skipped a beat. This would be his downfall and he could sense it. Too many heartbreakers have those pretty emerald eyes. He'd played out this story before and it always ended in tears. He weakly chuckled staring straight into those damned eyes.  
"I was kinda in a rush this morning, was hoping it was just misleading clouds." 

That earns a laugh outta him, and, dear God, it sounded like a bubbly child. He was either too cute for his own good or a mastermind of attraction.

"It hasn't rained like this in a long time, don't you think?" He nodded to the brunette's question; following his gaze to see the far off lights of Central station.  
"You getting off soon?"  
The man shook his head, his long bangs whipping over his eyes. "Nope, I'm up in Brooklyn. You?"  
Blessed God, he lived in the same vicinity as him. "Uh, yeah, I'm from up there too. How long?"  
He shrugs leaning closer.  
"Few months. I'm looking for a job, music based hopefully. I kinda just finished up school and I've always wanted to live here. It's nicer than I thought and a lot colder than where I'm from." 

 

Marcus smirked at that, southerners always complain about the weather, but he made it sound cute. Made you want to know more.  
"Southerner?" He asked, although he knew this would only bury him deeper. 

"Yup, born and raised in sun baked Nevada." He stated proudly straightening his collar. He gave Marc the smallest flash of his collar bone, the bone gleaming from the water and dull lighting. Marcus reddened slightly and he seemed to brighten up at that. "So what's your name?" 

Marcus' eyes widened as he stopped, his smile dimming. He knew this scene all too well, it always starts with a name.  
"Mine's Lewis, but I think I might change it or something." He stated holding out his right hand with a smile that looked slightly concerned.  
Marcus simply breathed in and took his hand.  
"It's Marcus, raised here in Brooklyn and staying strong." His smile brightened at that as he slipped down into the seat next to his new friend. Marcus couldn't see it but the man's pupils dilated as he moved closer. 

''Why are you getting all chummy with some guy you just met on a subway?'' He questioned Lewis as he wraps the cord around his umbrella to keep it shut. He shrugs, nuzzling into his thick coat.  
"I like talking, I'm an extrovert in the truest sense, honestly. Besides you look like you've had it bad. Like, some heavy crap just got thrown at your chest."  
He chuckled staring down at the floor. "Yeah, I guess you could say that." He shrugged again his small smile planted on his face. 

 

Marcus was terrible confused by the fact that he seemingly never stopped smiling.  
"I was almost dragged to some stupid dating thing my coworkers were setting up. And, I don't really like days like this anymore. I can't even stand the smell of rain."  
That made Lewis pause, his eyes staring up as he bit his chapped lip. Marcus didn't want sympathy and he definitely didn't want to explain why he hated days like this. Lewis let out a sigh before grabbing his suitcase.  
"Hey, I want you to open that." He instructed placing it in the tired man's lap. 

He looked at the brunette wearily as he nodded him on. Still, Marcus simply took a deep breath and unlatched the case. He was greeted by stack upon stack of crumpled paper. Each page looked five or three years old and was covered with words.  
"They're all lyric sheets, most of them hand written during high school. I used to get made fun of for my size, my face, and the gay scare was rampant back then, still I never stopped being me. Never got angry when I wrote, it always made me calm. I barely ever open it, some grand idea from my roommate to always carry them with me. They're my luck, they help me have the courage to talk to people like you. To help people who seem like they need it."  
Marcus blushed at that, more because this kid was so fucking cute than the fact he was telling him all this.  
"What do ya mean by gay scare?" 

Lewis froze at that his smile slipping, he didn't like to talk about this, obviously.  
"Well...I kinda sorta came out during the whole 'God hates gays' and the aids scare and," he sighed brushing back his bangs nervously,"it wasn't the best place to be at the time."  
Marcus nodded slowly, he had heard these kinds of stories enough to know he shouldn't push him.  
"Yeah, mine was like that too. I didn't figure out I was pan till around college though." Lewis' eyes went wide as he turned back to the man.  
"Really?," he asked.  
Marcus nodded, his eyes darting to the window. "I kinda knew but I thought I was just messing with myself ya know. But then I meet him and well, I figured out it wasn't a lie." Lewis smiled slightly but was very cautious as he formed his next question. 

"Did he... like you?" 

Marcus shrugged, he felt the pang of those memories. The good, the bad, and the bloody, disgusting truth. He just shook his head as he answered the musician.  
"I think he did once. Didn't even last through my second year though. It hurt more than I thought it would, even though it was so obvious. I didn't know what would happen back then, but now, I won't even trust a person who looks like him. Sad isn't it?" 

Lewis shook his head, eyes wide. "Of course not! Anyone would be hurt after something like that I- I um... think that's terrible. I've had my share of problems too, but even my first guy at least left after we agreed it wouldn't work. I'm sorry for you."  
He just shrugged staring out the window. "It's okay honestly, I'm used to the memories. Besides, it's just the past, it doesn't bother me anymore." 

 

Lewis could tell he was lying, that Marcus still clung onto those memories like a lifeline. He knew because he'd seen it many times before. He was actually quite nervous while talking to Marcus. He'd seen the man on his way back from his interviews a few times in the past two months and each time he looked terribly tired. But that day, he looked ungodly miserable, as if some pet he loved was terribly sick. Lewis was honestly concerned for his health. He'd seen enough depression to know how to identify someone else with it. The man was obviously introverted and didn't seem to like speaking much, but he at least smiled at Lewis. It helped when they smiled, since he was usually afraid he came off as annoying. 

"I'm sorry I brought up bad memories." Lewis had begun fiddling with his thumbs as a thick silence filled the conversation. Marcus smiled softly as he spoke up. 

"I don't mind, you asked and I knew you were curious. It's better you hear it now then I tell you later." 

He thought over the man's words as a thought struck him. "Wait, what do you mean later?"  
Marcus shrugged, a smirk on his face. "Well, of course. We both live in the same area and take the same train; we're more likely to meet again then other situations."  
Lewis was currently hiding a very noticeable blush. Marcus wasn't the best at talking, but he had a way of silently expressing his thoughts with his eyes; a steely gray pair of irises that look like they can pierce skin. He hadn't realize how close they actually were, geographically speaking. Marcus actually did take notice of the blush but in a less innocent light. He knew it wasn't proper to think of him that way but, he was just so adorable.

The train was near the next station when Lewis finally composed himself. "I'm sorry, about all this. But, we still have a while to talk." Marcus grinned and nodded. He enjoyed the others company. They talked about nothing, how their college had helped or worsened their lives, and how long it'd been since either talked to someone like the other. Marcus noted the fact that he hadn't talked with anyone like Lewis in years. By the time the doors opened, they had already struck a bond.  
"Do you mind walking me home? I prefer having a shoulder I know ramming into me."  
Marcus chuckled as the brunette pulled him out of his chair. He noticed that he had significantly dried considering how waterlogged he had been. He didn't think much of it, considering how much air was being blown into the car. 

The two strutted down the street shoulder to shoulder, Lewis carrying his locked suitcase and umbrella while Marcus left his hands in his pockets. The two strolled in silence for a while, the rain at a light mist. Marcus thought how crazy or how lonely he must really be to talk to some stranger so quickly. 

He hadn't been himself recently, doubting his brother's advice. He knew that he should try to be productive and have at least a vague goal for the future, but he just couldn't make one. Hell, he wasn't even sure he wanted a goal anymore. He knew his brother had wanted what was best for him. Especially, after his life fell around him from a disease and an enraged mother left them both on the streets. 

Barry was a good man from what he remembered but, it was so long ago now. He missed his brother wholeheartedly. They both didn't deserve what happened, not what their mother did nor the disease Barnard caught from a night of mistakes. He could only vaguely remember his brother's smile, a few days away from death, red eyed and sweat stained yet still as bright as the day when the two first meet.

He was broken from the warm thoughts by a strong and tan arm wrapping tight around his stomach. He heard a whoosh of air in front of him, a cab speeding past his chest, as he was pulled back on the familiar sidewalk. His head burned from whiplash as he felt the arms wrap around him tighter.  
"What the fuck were you thinking?! I turn around for one second and you do that to me. Jesus, man you walked right in front of a fucking bus!" Marcus let out a groan.

He’d had worse accidents when he blacked out, he must've wandered away from the poor guy and done this again. 28 non lethal accidents with only the money of the poor people who find him to give him a cast, or blood transfusion, or some other bull crap to help him live onward. He wasn't used to the fainting though. 

Lewis quickly realized his friend couldn't properly understand him, nor respond to him. So, he quickly pulled his arm over his shoulder, practically carrying him with one side. He quickly turned on his heels, carrying him back to his house. Only a few steps went by before Marcus's world went black.

 

When Marcus woke up, the soft hum of guitar strings against wood filled his ears. He'd heard the soft song somewhere but wasn't certain where.

“And although you try to view your world as cinematic, it won't work without you acting like you care for me." 

The notes began to speed up as a small tapping filled the space.

"You could tell me every day was a prewritten, predisposition plan but never once would I believe you; cause my world doesn't need your logics to ground me down. You tried to conform me but I wouldn't be molded into anyone just for a quick time around." 

The song diverged into a short trill down the strings before it halted suddenly as the guitarist let out a sigh.  
"No that doesn't fit.. Dammit Jared!"  
Marcus could hear the soft collision of the orator's flannel against a counter top as he let out a sigh.  
"Why the hell did we even date?," he muttered with a laugh. 

Marcus quickly realized he was in the green eyed musicians living room lying on a sleeping bag of sorts, stripped of his coat and sneakers, wrapped in a tight cocoon of blankets. He tried to wiggle into a sitting position but ended up in a large pit next to where he was laid out on the floor. The small grunt he let out echoed in the pit although he didn't feel pain when he landed. He instead felt lots of cushions. 

He heard footsteps come closer to his position after he heard the soft rustle of Lewis leaving his guitar on the counter.  
"You okay? You didn't fall too hard," he asked, leaning over him. "did you?"  
Marcus scrambled up, kicking the blankets off him in the process, staring straight into those shining emerald eyes. He leaned back in the pit, realizing his hand was firmly gripping a throw pillow. 

Lewis was fairly concerned at the moment. For one thing Marcus had just gotten up from fainting three hours ago. His flat mate, CJ, was horridly concerned about his want to help the poor guy but they let him sleep on a spare bed mat easy. CJ was nice but not really hospitable, not to mention they didn't like Lewis' infatuations. Lewis got carried away when it came to men, he fell easy and he always looked at the straight guys with longing, and CJ cared for him more then they would admit. Mostly cause they shared a dorm in college and knew each other from a Classical Musician class they both took and partnered in. 

CJ was avidly aromatic and, to be honest, Lewis found it intriguing. CJ didn't know why Lewis got so caught up in guys but still tried their damnedest to make sure he was happy. They really just couldn't bare to see him sad. "Makes me think of a dying chinchilla or some shit. It's unbearable," they had said on one depressing occasion where he tried to drown the loss of some frat boy with two cartons of Ben & Jerry's and a lotta watching reruns of Beaches, which he eventually got over, realizing he felt unfulfilled either way. 

Still, CJ was always there for him, always encouraging, always helpfully critiquing. CJ was a great musician too, they had one of the most fluent feelings of rhythm and fluidity Lewis had ever seen and they loved starting raves although they didn't care for the grinding and shit some people did. And CJ had one rule when it came to bringing people home, the most he could give them is a cup of tea and some hospitality. He knew why of course, romance makes them uncomfortable and Lewis kinda dripped with the stuff during college. He was really glad they got along so well but it was still kind of awkward for the two of them. And now he had given him a bit too much hospitality. 

Marcus stood up gripping the edge of the pit.  
"I'm perfectly fine! What is this?"  
Lewis smiled at his flustered scowl, the blonde's cheeks a rose pink.  
"My roommate thought it'd be cool. These apartments used to be one big mansion and no one wanted the bathing room, queen bedroom and closets. We got it pretty cheap. Took us a good six months to get all those pillows, so be glad." 

Lewis took Marcus' arm and pulled him up by the waist before setting him down next to him. It was the first time Marcus saw his tattoo. The freckled arm was covered in looping spirals of black, blue, green and violet, curling outward to form whispery shapes of rabbits, snakes, mice, falcons and koi. It seemed to slither up his shoulder, each strand of shadow branching into a vineyard of mammals, reptiles, and birds all over his arm and shoulders. Yet somehow the strange tribal like pattern seemed to be singed in the man's tanned skin, like the ink was ingrained into him. He'd only seen the man in suits or not at all so as Lewis spoke to him about the history of the old tub, he was much more focused on mapping out the gorgeous lines and complexities of the tattoo. Marcus was completely bewitched by it, he'd tried decades to work up to anywhere near the complex knowledge of color, movement, flow and constituency that was illustrated in the mastery of ink and flesh.

Lewis knew he was staring at it, everyone did. To be honest he barely remembered the piece. It took almost 4 hours but the artist did these kind of watercolor ink drawings he had wanted like she was born with ink in her blood. He loved every part of it especially because of it's meaning to CJ and him. He let go of Marc rambling on about his music as he asked if he wanted a drink.  
"J... Just a water."  
Lewis was smiling with a blush on his cheeks and it was kinda distracting Marcus from staring at the beauty on his arm.  
"Do... Do you have a lot of tattoos like that?" 

Lewis nodded smiling softly.  
"Lots. I like them, they all tell stories, I have three ones on my left arm but everyone spots this beauty first," he patted the treasure of ink and skin, covering the rabbit and snake within its center. "I just sorta got into a habit of buying one whenever I had enough. Plus CJ loves to paint and can listen to my ramblings for days. That's mostly why we get along so well." 

It was physically impossible for Marcus to not smile at the brunette. Lewis blushed at the blonde's shining smile, sliding a blue tinted glass to him. Marc drank it down hurriedly, trying to wash his cracked throat. Lewis got back on his spot, legs dangling a few feet from Marc as he messed with the guitar strings, trying to find the elegant rhythm that escaped him. Marc hurriedly wiped his chin, panting slightly as he began playing again, humming softly.  
"You only play acoustic?"  
Lewis simply nodded his head, smiling.  
"Ah, a man of many talents. Can't talk and play though."  
He nodded, gliding his fingers over keys that sounded like a mesh of depressed calm and happy irony to Marcus. Still he stood there, leaning on his elbows as the boy played sweetly. 

Then he started singing. Lewis' voice was dark and rich from his countless cups of nervous therapy tea and the slight indenture of crescendo and accentuation set his voice aflame with silent passion. 

‘And every night, was another sob story, over how she got away-eh yeah. But you never once did you tell me how much you wanted me till I was practically out the door, ‘cause I always, left you begging for more, oh. Still I- miss you when the sky is bright enough and the clashing- tides are high enough.’ 

His fingers ran down the neck with a trill that sent a shiver down Marc’s spine. He could almost feel him gliding his hand down his back, through his hair, tugging the roots sharply. 

‘So, Can you see me smiling bright from your tower showered in moonlight? Cause, some nights I get kinda worried that you were all in my h-eh-ad. But then I see the scars and remember how rough you got when I hid away in bed. Sometimes I cry-ei when I think of all that I did for you but, what can I do? What can I do-oo for someone as stubborn as you.’

Marcus was burning at the sounds, he was completely engrossed in the music, the tone merging into so many close tunes and tight knit chords that it left him frozen. He had never heard a voice like Lewis' to be honest. It sounded practically ethereal, vibrating, sending pulsating tones into the air and amplifying them to a point that he could sense it against his skin. The musician glides over the strings with the precision and grace one would appoint to a violinist or cellist not a jobless guitarist. Still, the freckled fingers played with all the grace and magic an aimless man could muster. Soon his fingers slowed though and he strummed the last chord, smiling meekly.  
"Needs a bit more work but I'm getting better. I think I might need to shorten the syllables. Feels to slow." Marc nodded blushing causing Lewis to smile softly with a child like giggle. 

Before Marc could even redden he heard a door slam as a bright, falsetto piped from behind the counter.  
"Yo, Freckles! I got you that Dragon Fruit tea you were whining about. Is that dumb-ass blond you brought over finally up? I swear to Christ if you are already balls deep in- Oh, hey, the Non-Blond's up."  
Lewis ran over to his roommate, gripping their shoulders tightly. They were a lanky, burnt chocolate skinned human with a side cut and long dreads falling against their shoulder brushing against the dark fabric of their hoodie. Marcus kinda found himself baffled by the pair side by side, one bright and neon the other calm and cool.  
“CJ!! He doesn't know yet.”

They blinked for a moment, making Marc note how tall Lewis actually was, a full foot over the bright green eyed person, before they grinned wide.  
"Oh, so you haven't taken the shot yet," they clarified while they waggled their dark eyebrows at the blushing man. They held up their hands, revealing bright green ink swirls covering their arms all the way to their wrist as they stepped towards the pillow pit. "I gotcha. Just, don't 'ask him' around me please. I prefer to keep away from the one you're searching for. Especially when he’s blubbering.”  
The blonde slipped off the counter, throwing on his jacket from the couch. Lewis turned to face him, cheeks a dusk rose.  
"You going home?"  
Marcus weakly nodded, searching for his satchel before remembering he was going home from work on a Friday, he left his shit in the office on Friday.  
"Yeah, I'm really really tired; besides wouldn't want to worry you here. I'll see you around, both of you. Oh, the Non-Blond has a name and it's Marcus, thank you."  
He held out a hand to Lewis, sweating softly from how warm it was in his thick coat. The freckled man shook him smiling as CJ leaned against the couch. 

The blond left with some quick words and a softened slam of the door, letting the roommates release a breath they'd both been holding.  
‘Is he-?," Lewis asked, voice soft and hopeful despite all thoughts.  
CJ nodded, their teal eyes radiating knowledge.  
"I have never been this certain of him since the Dark Ages." 

 

—-—-—-—

 

Marcus sighed as he fell into his bed, knees buckled and clothes thrown throughout the hall. He was exhausted, completely. He'd left work in a daze, still processing Friday night. It'd been three days since he'd seen Lewis again. They'd talked for a while on that cramped train but it didn't progress anything, just made his chest even tighter. It hurt to breath when he couldn't see him; all Marc could think about was Lewis. He was slightly angry at this fact because it kept him from doing as his brother's wish but at the same time, he was afraid. Afraid he'd be cast aside again. Plus his roommate sounded like an ass, stinking of all that hipster art bull shit he hated about his neighboring city. 

He rolled onto his back with a tired moan, lost wondering what he'd do about his heart's disobedience, when he heard a soft scratching. He sat up quickly, thinking maybe it was his neighbors or some bastards throwing rocks at his window, yet he was instead met by a well fed black cat, with a pair of piercing green eyes staring into him. He blinked at the creature as it turned its head, ears turned to the glass. Its nose twitched as Marcus careful opened the glass, letting the frail cat slip inside. The creature mewed happily, rubbing against his pant leg as Marc closed the chilly breeze outside. 

 

He picked up the cat, watching how its small head turned up to stare at him as he looked at the cat's frame. He was male, and didn't look spayed but also wasn't very aggressive. The animal seemed to like the attention and looked relatively well fed. He smiled at the creature as he licked his thumb. He placed the cat on his bed before running into the kitchen to pour him some water and something to eat. He must've been starving if he was scratching at the windows. He brought a few selections to the animal as he laid down the water, a line of cans and wrapped leftovers. 

He eventually found a can of minced chicken Marc had bought for his cousin or something that he seemed to like the smell of. Marc poured it out, adding some slices of roast beef for good measure. He smiled as the cat ate happily, soft smacking sounds filling the quiet space. He hadn't realized how quiet his apartment was, not until then. 

 

The cat finished quickly, seemingly famished. He slipped into Marc's lap where he was welcomed by large warm hands. Marc happily laid down with the cat curled on his chest, too tired to drive him outside. He petted the cat softly, smiling as he purred sweetly. 

In no time he began talking to himself, the cat curled to his side as he lay in bed.  
“I like him ya know? He's nice to me and we talk all the time. I know I shouldn't though,” he sighed softly, curling close to the warmth of the small animal. “I want to tell him so bad! But what if he hurts me? He can't see me like that, I know he can't. He thinks I'm sad and fragile. How could he like me?”  
Marcus let out a soft huff as he nuzzled his cheek against the soft black back he'd been stroking gently. The cat yelped softly but Marc simply rolled off in surrender, groaning softly as he hid in the covers. Still, the feline pawed at his shielded arms and was pulled close to his chest in no time.

Marc used to have a cat, sleek and gray with striking black stripes. Barney named her Flop cause of her usual stretched out position on the couch or floor, blocking everyone's way. It was sad to think that even she outlived Barn. It was kinda sad to think that he couldn't take the cat he was given by his mother with him that night. He never knew how she died, he just knew she was without even looking, he could just feel that she'd left. He supposed that was why he felt so happy with the feline curled against him.

He smiled softly at the ball of fur sleeping soundly in his arms, Marc needed this. He needed to feel something else's warmth, to feel another presence in his sad little life, even if the cat wasn't his. The animal already liked his company, that alone made him happy. He sighed softly through his nostrils as he slowly fell into sleep. 

\-------

The first thing Marcus noticed was the massive warmth in his bed. He nudged into it softly, a tired moan escaping him as he pulled the being closer. They were like a heating pad against his torso and wrapping around his arms and shoulders. He was much too tired to think further than that he liked the heat against his cheek. He even liked the tiny sound he heard when he nudged the thing softly. It wasn't until his sleep glazed eyes saw rust spotted tan that he questioned the intense grogginess and the warmth holding him. 

He stared straight into Lewis’ nervous green eyes as he realized what had happened. Lewis had somehow snuck into his apartment, most likely, to his currently panicked mind, heard his heart to heart to the, now missing, cat, and had curled up in bed with him, shirtless and shocked at his predicament. He hurriedly pushed away from the other man, nearly falling off the bed as the other pulled his freckled arms away from Marc's pale, flailing limbs. 

The two stared at each for a while, thick silence hanging in the air. Marcus wanted to break it so badly but his throat was clenching so tight and he knew he was flustered as all fuck. Lewis slipped out of the covers, kneeling on the bed, Marc’s eyes focusing on the sparse black hairs on his thighs. He noticed the weirdest things when it came to Lewis, like how he hadn't seen his bare thighs yet. Still, he should be more focused on the shirtless man’s excuse not his bod, although that was seriously hard to ignore.

Lewis sighed as he bit his lip softly, scratching his scalp nervously.  
“I really really hoped you were a heavy sleeper, ugh. Look, Marcus, I-,” Lewis started before pulling back to rub his neck awkwardly as he coughed gently.  
“I swear to god I did not mean to do anything malicious towards you. I just, wanted to see you… And the cat hasn't left yet.”  
Marc blinked at him pulling the blankets to his clothed chest. He felt like Lewis was staring straight into him as those nervous green eyes scurried over him and to room. It wasn't really uncomfortable just very strange and frightening.  
“Lewis, how did you get in?”  
He shrugged, scratching his shaved scalp softly.  
“You let me in. Remember? You didn't name me. Usually you name me by the time I accidentally wake up with you but that usually takes a few days.” 

Marc barely had time to blink before a sleek black cat was stretching on his bed, the freckled brunette gone entirely. He scurried off the bed, falling hard to the wood floors as his legs got tangled in his sheets. The sweet voice called out from the bed, causing Marcus to scramble to his feet, meeting Lewis’ crouched form on the mattress as he raised the sheet to grab the vanished cat.  
“What the ever living fuck.”

Lewis was blushing furiously as he stood slowly, hands stretched out in peaceful surrender.  
“Couch, now. You are explaining all of this shit,” Marc commanded, throwing a t-shirt to him as he strode out of the bedroom, eyes glued to the floor. “And don't you dare try to lie to me!”  
Lewis stood there a moment, running his fingers over the crisp white cotton as he heard the soft stream of a coffee maker brewing its first batch. He smiled as he slipped into the shirt and slipped onto the dark brown couch.

He gazed around the sunlit apartment, all dark brown and tan furnishings and bright white and black trims. He hoped the black marble island was cheap considering how it looked with Marc glaring at him, sipping from a green mug large enough to hold a gallon of scalding coffee in all likelihood. Lewis was immediately reminded of another version of Marcus, one he had fought with for eons before death. He had screamed when he saw his slit throat. All that blood, how it covered his gorgeous, scar coated hands. How his tears glared in the sand’s reflection. He didn't even tell him he'd loved him then. How painful that time was. 

Lewis breathed in, straightening himself before he spoke, tone soft and gentle.  
“Marcus, do you believe in reincarnation or ‘gods’?”  
Marc glared at him with the fury of eight thousand stars through a magnifying glass. That actually made Lewis smile wider. And not in a ‘He's totally doing what I want kind of way’ but a ‘He's cute when he's angry’ face. Marc sipped his drink angrily as Lewis chuckled, continuing.  
“Well, we are special to the ‘gods’ who made this universe. In reality they were all beings who had evolved past human limitations in a differing universe who wanted to watch a universe form because, honestly, they had the technology to create one. Theirs was created by probability, but this one is made by intellect, one of the very few in the whole of our known multiverse. And I know this because I am the first creature to be made with these Creators original structure for intellectual life.” 

Marcus was close to simple pouring his drink into his lap from sheer ridiculousness. Still he didn't stop him, and Lewis definitely wasn't going to halt anytime soon.  
“And CJ, well they were meant to be my partner but we weren't compatible, we never wanted to be. That was our genetic probability, either we would procreate and dominate or be eternal through a different mean. We can change our bodies into any form. Anything. We lived among animals for eons before primates slowly grew dominate. They were easy to exist with, even easier to master. But then your kind came, children of the creators.” 

Lewis whipped at his eyes. Marcus heard the sniffles before the tears came but he wasn't truly prepared.  
“I wasn't supposed to procreate. We were supposed to live on without emotions of love towards others. I couldn't hide it for long but I knew I had to. I was used by so many men, the children and gods themselves tossing me around like a doll. But then… Then I met you. Your father took care of me and then you,” he chuckled weakly, falling back as his shoulders heaved their thinly covered sighs, his fingers covering his mouth as a weak muffler. “Marcus, I feel in love with you. The world hadn't even existed a full century and you were created. You and the first children of the creators. We were giants back then, all of us. We lived on a heavier atmosphere in our own place above the madness waiting to insert ourselves in. When ape would turn to man. You were the strongest bridge between us and the Gods. But you are mortal. I can never die. My form is ever changing and all I can control is how humans see it. You though. I've loved you since you were old enough to ask my name. I love each one of your names that I hear. We loved for eons and then millennia and centuries and decades at one point. I never stopped loving you.”

Lewis’ eyes were streaming, a literal puddle forming underneath him as he spoke. Marcus wanted to sooth him, to go over and wipe of the trenches on his sun kissed skin, but he was frozen. Lewis saw it in his eyes, the flood of memories. The fights, the forest, the darkness, the warmth. Marcus remembered it all. 

As Lewis shakily stepped towards him, he kneeled under him, tears falling as Marc wiped away at them softly.  
“Leevi. That was the name he gave you. A-And Theli she-”  
“Wanted to destroy me and Celeste. Your father-”  
“Saved you. He protected you and I… I fell in love with my father’s warrior. Oh god, that forest. That horrible man… How could she!”  
Lewis gripped his shaking hands, squeezing them as he stood. Marcus was sobbing, words weak and unintelligible. He kissed the blond’s forehead as he held Marc tight. They just held each other for eternity on end. 

Marcus kissed him softly, craving the familiar warmth of the creature's lips. He wanted so badly to engulf himself in the passion he had longed for so unforgivingly long as Lewis tightened his vice on Marc. He slowly sealed his eyes, gripping his waist as he slipped the man off the island. They landed on the floor, Lewis’ back pressed into the couch as he stroked the sobbing man. He sang softly, a song Marcus didn't know but could completely understand. He sobbed as the first kiss they'd ever shared played in his head. 

How only mere seconds after the spark of passion a spike had driven through Leevi’s chest as the demigod screeched in pain from the grip on his frail wrists. The scream of his name as Marc was dragged, his feet forming trenches in the rain soaked earth as he struggled towards the form of his love, reduced to a bleeding pup in a hunter’s arms as his mother’s demands of obedience died as soon as they vibrated the air. He could still feel the pounding in his skull as he screamed against his locked barricade of a bedroom door. He felt satin ripping in his hands and he almost screamed in pain as he tried to impale himself. Still, Lewis peppered him in kisses, singing softly as he held him tight.

Every time he'd found him, Marquee had always screamed. Never had he taken the pain of the past with grace or understanding, always tears and screaming. He understood. Why wouldn't he yell at the rush of agony? He couldn't even remember how many times tragedy had taken over them. His brother had died, Barney he'd told him, and Marcus had been hit with blow after blow until he had finally ran into him again. Lewis hated being the most uplifting thing in his life. He always felt broken when they meet but, he was hurt the first time too. He guessed it was just the curse they had to bare.

Marcus sniffled, wiping at his face as he shifted in Lewie's lap, gazing right into his eyes.  
“You know,” he crooked, voice rough and tired, ”you never lost your eyes. Not even when we were in different species or when we first meet. You've always had those gorgeous eyes. Did I get any uglier?”  
Lewis chuckled brightly, stroking his smooth cheek. “Not at all, my Lord. The only thing that's changed is your name and your bruises. Once you got the most alluring tan for a few decades but you didn't care much for it.”  
Marcus weakly laughed in his throat, falling against him. The two sighed softly as they held each other tight. The late morning sun filling every inch of the space in warm light. 

\---–———–—-------

Lewis laughed as he tackled Marcus, having weaved through the thick oaks to catch him as he heard Marc sing. Marcus had hated his singing voice until Lewis had sung with him that day. How he felt enveloped in the sound of the two of them. It was so comforting and homey. He adored it so much, some nights he'd just hum softly until Lewis sang for him.

He wondered why he'd never remembered Lewis before the first meeting but he knew that too. A curse of eternal reincarnation to follow Lewis for eons because of the crime of disappointing a woman who they had always resented. Still, he did enjoy having a shapeshifter as a boyfriend. 

Some nights they'd just curl up close to block out the Brooklyn chill or kiss with wet gills fluttering against his skin. He enjoyed experimenting with all the different features Leevi's different forms could offer, almost as much as Lewie loved taking care of him in them. Lewis was ungodly gorgeous in every form, always looking into him with the brightest, most green eyes. He could never find any of his forms horrid or deformed with those eyes absorbing him. Not even when he felt every part of the scars across his ancient skin. How much pain he'd have to carry with his bright smile. It was hard to believe he had carried those weights as a smiling child in the faintest hopes of meeting him again.

In every form new tattoos formed on his skin, and the two rediscovered that if Marc ran his hands over them, stories filled their heads as the images danced to the words they whispered to one another. Lewis had always loved Marcus’ stories, adored drinking in every line and detail. The two grinned at each other now, tied together on the forest floor. 

They kissed as CJ kicked a rock over their backs.  
“Good to see you turds are happy. When can we go home? It's so gross at night. Can't even see the stars with this sky.”  
Lewis sighed as he nodded, staring up at the dense clouds towering over them. Marcus groaned, leaning against his shoulder.  
“Why does it have to be so dark when we come?”  
The two simply shrugged as they glared at CJ. They blinked for a moment before seeing the radiating panel in their chest.  
“Oh! Levante… Yeah not the best thing tonight. Kinda dark.”  
Lewis sighed heavily, hanging his head dramatically as Marcus kissed his neck softly. They heard the loud groan and smiled as Celestine unzipped their hoodie.  
“You dorks owe me.”

The three smiled as CJ lassoed clouds far away in their swirling winds. The sky burned with stars, more than the trio had seen in many, many decades. Lewis let out a soft hum as his fingers laced through soft blond hair. Marc chuckled deeply, stroking Lewis’ head, he'd liked thinking of him as a mythical beast in human skin, himself a magnificent trainer of the inner creatures Lewis lived within so well.  
“Remember when the sky was this bright every night?,” Lewis whispered softly, his eyes fixed on the seemingly breathing constellations. The other two nodded as CJ hurled an asteroid the size of their fist far across the sky to form a shooting star for the few imaginative humans and creatures alike to gaze and wish upon.

**Author's Note:**

> Forgot this was almost 8k words. Sorry I said this nonsense was small. Hope you liked it though. Thank you so much for reading! Please leave any critiques or comments that you have and I'll be happy to listen. I'm still novice and I would love the help. I hope you enjoyed this little story! Thanks lots!


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